There is something about renting a beach house in the Outer Banks with a group of friends that sounds wonderfully relaxing right up until you realize how much stuff goes into being wonderfully relaxed. You need beach gear, snacks, clothes that can go from sand to cocktails, shoes you can actually walk in, beauty products to undo what the saltwater did and, apparently, enough bags to make it look like you are moving permanently to North Carolina.
Our OBX trip was all about friends, beach days, long dinners, cocktails, laughing way too late and enjoying that glorious stage of life where nobody has to worry about nap schedules. Well, except our own. And if I want an afternoon nap after several hours on the beach, I have earned it.
The best beach vacations are also the ones where you bring things that make life easier. These were some of the standouts that fit perfectly into our beach-house lifestyle, from what we carried onto the sand to what we wore when it was time to pretend we had not spent the entire afternoon lounging by the water.
Beach Days Are Serious Business
We came to OBX for the beach, so naturally, our beach setup mattered. I am long past the stage where I think struggling with a giant umbrella while the wind tries to carry me three houses down is part of the coastal experience.
Shibumi Shade with Wind Assist
The Shibumi Shade just makes sense at the beach because it actually uses the wind instead of fighting with it. It packs into a lightweight carrying bag weighing under four pounds and can be set up by one person in under two minutes. Translation: nobody has to begin the beach day irritated with their spouse.
The classic size fits four to eight people, which was perfect for our friends-trip mentality. Set it up, spread out the chairs and suddenly you have beach headquarters. There is also a Mini for two to four people if your beach crew is smaller.
Shibumi Chair
Once the shade is up, I want a chair that understands my vacation goals. The Shibumi Chair has DreamWave fabric suspended on a marine-grade aluminum frame without those annoying bars that somehow always find exactly the wrong spot on your back.
It offers four reclining positions, folds thin and has padded backpack-style straps for carrying it to and from the beach. There are even double ports designed for two neoprene holders for drinks and essentials. One for water and one for something more festive? I am simply pointing out the possibilities.
Feed the Beach House Crowd Without Losing Your Mind
One of my favorite things about renting a house with friends is gathering around the kitchen island with food and drinks. Nobody really announces dinner. Food appears, wine gets opened and eventually everyone is standing around talking.
Boarderie
Boarderie understands one of my most firmly held vacation beliefs: food tastes even better when somebody else does the work.
Their artisan cheese and charcuterie boards arrive fully arranged and ready to serve. No chopping, arranging or pretending you know exactly where the prosciutto should go. Put the board on the table, remove the packaging and accept the compliments.
For a birthday trip, the Birthday Classic Cheese & Charcuterie Board can even be personalized with cheese cutouts showing the birthday person’s age. There is also a Birthday Dessert Board with up to 47 confectionery treats and a smashable chocolate box. Beach-house birthdays should always involve chocolate you are encouraged to hit.
DM Snacks
A house full of adults requires snacks. Lots of snacks. Preferably snacks interesting enough that everyone starts passing bags around saying, “You have to try this.”
DM Snacks’ 24 Days of Nuts & Snacks gives you 24 individually portioned gourmet nut and snack blends ranging from sweet and savory to smoky and spicy. Flavors include Cheddar Jalapeño Clusters, Wasabi Taproom Mix, Maple Gold Snack Blend, Buffalo Blue Blaze Stix, Truffle Umami Pretzel Pops and Guacamole Twists.
This is the kind of thing I would put out around cocktail hour and let everyone start sampling. It also solves the inevitable beach-house problem of someone wandering into the kitchen at 10 p.m. looking for “just a little something.”
A Little Beach Sparkle Never Hurt Anyone
Vicky P Jewelry
Vacation jewelry should be easy. I don’t want to spend 20 minutes deciding what jewelry works with a beach dress when everyone else is already downstairs asking if I’m ready.
Vicky P Jewelry’s handcrafted starfish anklet is exactly the kind of piece that belongs in the Outer Banks. It’s delicate, coastal and works with sandals, shorts, flowing dresses or bare feet in the sand. I especially love jewelry that becomes tied to a memory. You wear it months later and suddenly you are mentally back on vacation, preferably with a cocktail in your hand.
The Dress That Earned Space in the Suitcase
Aqua Bloom Midi Strapless Dress by Aqua Allure®
Beach-house packing always creates the same dilemma. You want options, but you don’t want to bring 17 dresses for a one-week vacation. The Aqua Bloom Midi Strapless Dress is one of those pieces that earns its suitcase space because you can wear it more than one way.
Wear it casually with sandals during the day, then add heels and jewelry for dinner. It works for resort trips, cruises, brunches, weddings and nights out, and it has pockets. I repeat, it has pockets. Sometimes fashion really does listen to women.
Shoes That Can Keep Up With Vacation
Eric Michael Spira
There comes a point during every beach vacation when the flip-flops have to come off and you want something a little more polished.
The Eric Michael Spira combines an espadrille-inspired look with premium Italian pebble-grain leather and is handcrafted in Spain. The jute-wrapped wedge gives it that Mediterranean vacation look without requiring you to sacrifice comfort.
A padded leather-covered footbed, flexible rubber traction outsole and lightweight construction make it a great choice for going from an afternoon out to dinner with friends. The 2.5-inch wedge gives you some height, but the 0.75-inch platform helps keep things manageable. Because vacation should not require suffering for footwear.
Igor Shoes
IGOR has been designing jellies, rain boots and sneakers in Spain since 1974, and the fun colors and comfortable designs practically beg to be packed for a beach trip.
They are especially handy somewhere like OBX, where the day can include sand, water, shopping and an unexpected weather change. They’re playful without feeling childish, and sometimes your vacation wardrobe needs a little color.
The Bags That Actually Go Somewhere
The Brown Buffalo
Getting everyone into the beach house requires luggage that can handle an actual trip, not just look cute sitting in the bedroom.
The Brown Buffalo makes bags designed for serious use and backs them with a lifetime warranty. The Duffalo is a standout for travel, while the brand also offers backpacks and a Dop Kit.
I especially like the versatility of the Conceal Tote, which can transition between tote, shoulder and backpack carry. One bag that can change jobs throughout the trip means one less bag I have to pack, and that is the kind of math I appreciate.
Resort Style Without the Suitcase Drama
Scarlett Silk Skirts
Scarlett Silk Skirts were designed by artist, textile designer and lifelong traveler Shani Solomon, so these aren’t beautiful skirts that accidentally happen to travel well. Travel is part of the design.
Each handcrafted wrap skirt is made from 100% washable mulberry silk and cut on the bias to flatter sizes 0 through 20. They’re lightweight, packable and virtually wrinkle-free when folded in tissue paper.
Even better, you can hand-wash one in the sink and hang it to dry overnight. That makes it the kind of piece you can wear to dinner, wash and bring back into the vacation rotation without packing half your closet.
Undoing What the Beach Did to Our Hair
The ocean is beautiful. Saltwater hair at dinner is sometimes less beautiful.
Olaplex Traveling Stylist Kit
Between sun, saltwater, chlorine and whatever is happening with vacation-house water, my hair usually knows I’ve been traveling before I do.
The Olaplex Traveling Stylist Kit provides a two-step bond-repair treatment with No. 1 Bond Multiplier and No. 2 Bond Perfector. It’s a smart addition when your vacation involves repeated beach or pool days and your hair needs a little extra attention.
Virtue Mini Must-Haves Kit
The Virtue Mini Must-Haves Kit basically shrinks a complete hair routine into vacation-friendly sizes. It includes Recovery Shampoo, Recovery Conditioner, Un-Frizz Cream, 6-in-1 Styler and a Treatment Mask.
Everything is two ounces or less, which makes it especially useful when you are trying to avoid checking luggage. You get the routine without hauling full-size bottles halfway down the East Coast.
Because Sleeping in a House Full of Friends Is an Adventure
Manta Sleep Mask
A beach house full of friends is incredibly fun until someone wakes up at sunrise and decides everyone else should also be awake.
The Manta Sleep Mask offers 100% blackout with zero eye pressure and is engineered with side sleepers in mind. It’s designed for breathability, ventilation and comfort, which makes it a very useful little addition to a shared vacation house.
Put it on and suddenly you don’t care who opened the blinds at 6:12 a.m. Vacation saved.
The Quick Hair Fix We All Need
Arctic Fox Road Trip Dry Shampoo
Sometimes you come off the beach, look at the clock and realize everyone wants to leave for dinner in 30 minutes. This is not the moment for an elaborate hair routine.
Arctic Fox Road Trip Dry Shampoo makes the post-beach refresh much easier. The brand’s vegan hair-care essentials are designed for travel, and Arctic Fox donates 15% of profits to animal welfare causes. Pair the dry shampoo with the OG Hair Perfume & UV Protectant for another layer of vacation hair help.
Sunglasses With a Little Attitude
FORK Eyewear CRUSH
You cannot do the Outer Banks without sunglasses. Well, technically you can, but why would you?
FORK’s CRUSH frames have an oval-leaning cat-eye silhouette that feels bold without trying too hard. The acetate frames mix soft curves with sharper angles, and different frame colors can be paired with lighter or darker lenses.
The Sunwear lenses also feature a backside anti-reflective coating designed to reduce glare coming from behind. Add the engraved lens logo, neon interior signature and subtle branding and these have just enough edge to make even your “I threw this on for coffee” beach outfit look intentional.
Sun Protection That Doesn’t Feel Like a Chore
Suntegrity 5-IN-1 Tinted Sunscreen Moisturizer
If we’re spending our days outside at the beach, sunscreen isn’t optional. But I am always more likely to consistently use a product when it can do more than one thing.
Suntegrity’s 5-IN-1 Tinted Sunscreen Moisturizer combines mineral sun protection, skincare and beauty in one product. The company was founded by Tricia Trimble in 2010 in honor of her mother, who died from melanoma skin cancer, making sun protection part of the brand’s foundation rather than an afterthought.
It’s exactly the kind of multitasker I want on a beach trip when I’m trying to keep my morning routine simple and get downstairs before everybody starts asking where I am.
The Little Travel Product You Don’t Think About Until You Need It
Cottonwood Soap Company Solid Lotion Bar
After days of sun, sand and saltwater, skin can start begging for moisture. Cottonwood Soap Company’s Solid Lotion Bar delivers concentrated hydration in a compact, waterless format that is incredibly easy to travel with.
The 1.55-ounce bar comes in a reusable tin and, because it is solid, it doesn’t count toward airline liquid limits. Warm it against your skin and glide it over dry hands, elbows, legs or heels. The formula includes shea butter, cocoa butter and babassu oil and is handcrafted in small batches on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
The Coconut scent is particularly appropriate for a beach vacation because apparently even my moisturizer needs to stay on theme.
Our OBX trip reminded me why I love traveling with friends at this stage of life. The days don’t need to be overscheduled. Nobody needs an itinerary broken into 15-minute increments. Some of the best moments happen sitting under the shade on the beach, sharing food around the kitchen island or getting dressed for dinner while everyone is yelling from room to room asking who borrowed the hair dryer.
The right products don’t make the vacation. The people do. But having a few things that make beach days easier, dinners prettier, packing lighter and sleeping through your friend’s early-morning coffee routine certainly doesn’t hurt.
And if a product can help me look pulled together at dinner after spending six hours on an OBX beach, it deserves considerably more credit than I do.
